The first man to be convicted of trafficking females out of the UK, in a case involving two Nigerian girls, has been jailed.

Anthony Harrison, 32, was sentenced to 20 years for four trafficking offences as well as two of false imprisonment.

At Woolwich Crown Court, Harrison, of Stratford, east London, was cleared of two counts of rape.

The charges related to teenage victims who alleged they were subjected to witchcraft and violence.

Judge Philip Shorrock said the sentence was being imposed "to deter others who are tempted by this terrible trade" and "to reflect public disgust".

Juju magic

Harrison imprisoned both girls - aged 14 and 16 - at his home in Albert Square, Stratford, in 2009, before attempting to traffic them to Spain and Greece as prostitutes.

The two had been controlled by Juju magic rituals, the court was told.

Image caption
One of the girls was gagged and bound in Harrison's bathroom

The case is thought to be the first of its kind in Europe to involve a prosecution linked to such a practice.

Both girls came from small villages in Edo, Nigeria, and were sold into prostitution with the help of the local Juju priest.

Juju is a significant part of West African culture.

Police said Harrison was a key player in a sophisticated network of West African people traffickers operating in the UK.

After Harrison was convicted, the prosecution told the court: "This has been something of a unique case and ground-breaking. It's the first time there has been a prosecution for trafficking out of the UK.

"It's the first time the Crown has been able to persuade victims of these type of offences to give evidence."